Compensating lever for car-couplings.



No. 688,260. Patented Dec. 3, I90I.

J. J. OBRIEN.

GOMPENSATING LEVER FOR CAR COUPLINGS.

(Application filed'Oct. 1, 1900.)

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. OBRIEN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO EDWARD L. ADREON, JR, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

COMPENSATING LEVER FOR CAR-COUPLINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 688,260, dated December 3, 1901.

Application filed October 1, 1900. Serial No. 31,708. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J. OBRIEN,of the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Compensating Levers for Car-Couplings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

This invention relates to compensating levers for car-couplings; and it consists of the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter shown, described, and claimed.

The couplings at present in use on railwaycars vary their positions considerably on account of the buffeting and drawing action to which they are necessarily subject. No allowance, however, has been made whereby the chain connecting the locking-pin to the unlocking-rod can vary its length to com pensate for this movement, and as a consequence the chains are frequently broken as the drawheads are drawn farther away from the car out of the reach of the connecting-chain.

This results in a great deal of trouble to the operator and expense to companies, owing to the existing laws pertaining to these devices. Furthermore, the tension on the chain would have the tendency to lift the lockingpin, resulting in uncoupling the cars.

My present invention has for its object the construction of a compensating lever whereby the connecting-chain is allowed to be drawn out as the draw-head is drawn farther away from the car, and whenever the draw-bar is in its normal position the chain will beheld up out of contact with thedraw head. The means which I employ to attain these results are clearly set forth in the following detailed description, reference being had to the drawings, in which- Figure l is a View showing my improved compensating lever in operative position. Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing in detail the means whereby the locking-pin is allowed to adjust itself in various positions. Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the position which the compensating device assumes whenever the locking-pin is drawn away from the unlockinglever. Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line a a of Fig. 2.

It will be observed that I use the form of unlocking-lever which is of the Master Oar- Builders type and the proportions of which conform to the requirements of this class of levers. Inbrief, my invention consists in attaching a compensating device to the inner end of the lever of the class mentioned,which consists of an arm of the lever in the form of a cylinder or casing which incloses a pin and spring, the latter being around the former, which is connected to the look by the usual connection. It is essential to construct a device of this character which will fulfil all requirements and be operative that the end of the spring-casing be immediately over the lock in order to give the proper leverage to support the pin and to provide a spring of sut'ficient length to be of any benefit.

In Fig. 1 is shown an ordinary coupling, consisting of the draw-bar l and the draw heads 2. The draw-bars are so connected to the cars that they may considerably vary their positions without unnecessarily jarring and causing injury to the car-frame. The dotted lines show the positions of the drawheads when drawn away from the car, and when in this position the chains at present used to connect the locking-pin with the unlocking-lever are frequently broken owing to the fact that their length is determined by given leverage and they cannot adjust themselves to the varying positions of the drawheads. 3 indicates the locking-pin, and 4t the connecting-chain whereby it is connected to the unlocking-lever. These parts are of the usual construction and require no further detailed description.

In Figs. 2 and 3 is shown in detail the compensating device interposed between the chain and the unlocking-lever, whereby the locking-pin and connecting-chain are allowed to be drawn farther away from the unlockinglever than is possible in those of ordinary construction. This compensating device consists of a tubular or cylindrical casing 5, having an opening at one end through which operates a rod 6. The said rod fits snugly within the opening and completely closes the same to prevent moisture and other foreign substances from reaching the inside of the casing and causing injury to the parts contained ICO therein. The rod 6 is provided on its outer end with an eye 7, to which the upper end of the chain 4: is connected. The end of the rod 6 within the casing 5 is provided with a rigid head 8, larger than the body of the rod, but free to operate within the casing 5. An eX- pansive coil-spring 9 is mounted around the body of the rod 6 within the casing, its one end bearing against the end of the casing 5 and its other end bearing against the head 8, thereby holding the rod 6 in its normal position, which is that shown in Fig. 2. The end of the casing 5 opposite from the end through which the rod 6 projects is connected to a lever 10, which is of usual construction and, as customary, is supported by means of supports 11, and the outer end of thesaid lever isprovided with the usual crank 12. I

The parts described are adjusted in the usual manner, as shown in Fig.1, the casing 5 and the parts carried thereby being supported adjacent to the draw-bar. The locking-pin 3 is applied to all automatic drawbars in the usual manner in coupling the cars together, and while the draw-bars are in their normal positions the chain 4 is held up out of contact with the draw-heads, as shown in Fig. 1. Whenever the draw bars are drawn out by the movement of the cars, the pin 3 is carried along and the chain 4, connecting the pin 3 to the rod 6, draws the saidrod outwardly, compressing the spring 9 in the manner shown in Fig. 3. The positions of the various parts are indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

It is manifest that any other means may be used to retain the rod 6 in its normal position-such asrubber, &c.and I do not desire to be limited to the exact construction shown and described, since the principle involved in either case would be the same and mere mechanical changes only would be required to substitute one device for another.

By referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings it appears that the part 5 and the parts carried thereby are in a horizontal position and that the outer end of the said part 5 is directly above the locking-pin when the draw-bars are in their normal positions. The purpose of this arrangement is to avoid having any unnecessary weight on the spring when the lever is operated to raise the locking-pin out of the draw-head. This results in increased leverage, and the spring will retain its tension a longer time than if the weight of the pin were carried thereby at every operation of the lever.

In combination with an unlocking-rod of the Master Car-Builders type, having a cylindrical casing projecting therefrom and formed integral therewith, of a rod projecting into said casing approximately of the same length therewith, and a spring within said casing and surrounding said rod adapted to compensate for the movement of the drawhead and return the pin to normal position when drawn outward, a locking-pin and'a connection between said rod and pin permitting free lateral movement of the draw-head with respect to the rod.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN J. OBRIEN.

Vitnesses:

ALFRED A. EIoKs, JOHN D. RIPPEY. 

